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Man beaten unconscious by men in Carlisle flat, court told

A jury has heard a man describe how he was beaten unconscious by two men he had earlier been enjoying a drink with.

Russell Wright, 41, was reliving the alleged attack in April last year which he said left him a fractured eye socket and an arm broken in three places.

In the dock, accused of causing him grievous bodily harm with intent to do so, were James Johnson, 30, of Lyndhurst Gardens, Carlisle, and Johnathan Davidson, 22, of Caird Avenue, Carlisle. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor David Birrell told Carlisle Crown Court that the alleged victim was attacked while he was drinking with the two defendants at Johnson’s flat.

The three were drinking cider but at around 11pm on the night in question the atmosphere had turned nasty, Mr Birrell told the jury.

It was then that the defendants began their attack on Mr Wright, he said.

The barrister said: “Many blows were struck. The attack was so severe that Russell Wright lost consciousness.”

The barrister showed the jury photos of Mr Wright’s “nasty injuries,” saying they should keep the images in their mind as they heard the case.

Mr Wright eventually escaped by saying he wanted to visit the toilet, from where he climbed out of a window.

In his evidence, Mr Wright told the jury: “We were talking away and having a laugh.

“The next thing I knew was that James Johnson had my legs and was pulling me off the sofa and he started punching me all over.”

He said both men joined in with the attack, punching and kicking him in the head and body, arms and legs.

Asked how many times he was struck, Mr Wright said: “Ten times maybe. I lost consciousness... There was blood dripping everywhere. My right arm was broken in three places. It was painful.”

He rejected a suggestion his injuries had been inflicted somewhere other than in the Carlisle flat.